ABBA announce 50th anniversary re-issue of iconic album Waterloo

That history book on the shelf? It's always repeating itself...ABBA have announced a very special re-issue of their iconic album Waterloo. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of both its release and its victory at the Eurovision Song Contest.

The second album from Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad saw ABBA get their international breakthrough, thanks to competing (and winning!) Eurovision in 1974.

Set to release April 5 via Polar Music/UMG, the re-issue comes to life as a half-speed mastered 45RPM 2LP Vinyl, along with a limited edition box set of the three vinyl singles, originally released in 1974. 

The three singles issued from the LP - Waterloo, Honey, Honey and Hasta Mañana - will also be re-issued as separate picture disks, plus a very special 10-inch vinyl disk of Waterloo in four (!) different languages. 

Upon original release in 1974. Waterloo (the album) peaked at Number 28 on the Official Albums Chart, while Waterloo (the single) became ABBA's first UK Number 1 single, topping the charts for two weeks.

Waterloo constituted the very start of ABBA's dominance in the UK - where they would go on to secure nine UK Number 1 singles and 10 UK Number 1 albums. Their greatest-hits LP, ABBA Gold, became the first album to ever spend 1,000 weeks charting in the UK Top 100 in 2021.

In a show of remarkable coincidence as well, in the 50th anniversary year of ABBA's Eurovision success, this year's Eurovision will be taking place in the band's native Sweden, following Loreen's record-setting win last year. But don't get too excited - it looks like the prospect of ABBA reuniting in-person in Malmö will be very slim.

Image: Olle Lindeborg/AFP via Getty Images